Improvement in generating and supplying illuminating-gas



Nrrnn STATES Fries,

PATENT E. A. POND AND M. S. RICHARDSON, OF RUTLAND, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN GENERATING AND SUPPLYING ILLUMINATING-GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,359, dated June 5, 1866.

To all whom it may, concern.-

Be it known that we, ERAsMUs ALLINGTON POND and MARK S. RICHARDSON, both of Butland, in the county. of Rutland and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in-the Method ofGenerating and SupplyingIlluminating-Gas; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same:

In the manufacture of illuminating-gas, consisting of atmospheric air charged with the vapor of hydrocarbon fluids, it has been found that the gas, when conducted through pipes or mains for any distance, is liable to'condense. In the ordinary method of supplying gas this evil is unavoidable, for the gas, being conducted through pipes leading from the works where it is manufactured to the dili'erent houses or other places where itis consumed, is necessarily subjected to all the variations of temperature the year round.

The object of our invention is to remedy this evil, so as to make the supply of gas steady and continuous, no matter how unfavorable the temperature may be. In order to accomplish this result it isa prime condition that the air should be charged with vapor at or near the point where the gas is to be consumed, so that the air thus charged may not be subjected to the cold.

The apparatus for generating gas from hydrocarbon fluids is in general, composed of two elements-first, an air-pump or apparatus for supplying air 5 and second, a vaporizer, in which the air is charged with hydrocarbon vapor, as shown in Letters Patent of the United States heretofore granted us. According to' the method now practiced the vaporizer and air-supplying apparatus are both located in one spot and combined, as at anylordinary gasworks, and the gas generated by them is conducted through mains and pipes laid in the ground to the various houses or other places where it is to be used, which are often at a great distance from the point of supply. Instead of this method, which is open to the objections above mentioned, we employ the following: The pump or other apparatus for supplying the air to be charged with hydrocarbon vapor may be placed in any central or convenient location in relation to the places to be supplied, and pipes or conduits should be laid therefrom, connecting the said apparatus with the houses or buildings to be supplied with gas. In place, however, of having one large central vaporizer at the same point where the air-forcing apparatus is situated, we place in each of the buildings just mentioned one or more vaporizers of suitable size and of sufficient capacity to generate all the gas needed for consumption in that particular building. The pipe or main leading from the central air-supplying apparatus connects with this vaporizer, the flow of air through each vaporizer being regulated by valves or cocks, or any other suitable means. The air, after having become charged in the vaporizer, may be distributed in the usual manner in pipes throughout the building in which the vaporizer is located.

It will be seen that by this method the gas is generated in and confined to each house in which it is to be consumed, and that all exposure of the charged air with the outside temperature is thus avoided. The mains or conduits which conduct the air from the air-forcin g apparatus to the several Vaporizers are alone subjected to the outside cold, while the gas or air, after it has. become charged with vapor, being surrounded by the comparatively mild temperature within the house, is not liable to condensation, but flows freely to the burners, where it is consumed.

Another advantage arising from this method is that there can be no loss of gas from the leakage of the mains which lead through the streets,nor any danger of explosion arising from such leakage, which are most troublesome incidents and of frequent occurrence in the present system of generating and supplying gas, for the pipes or mains which lead from the airpump or other apparatus for supplying air are not filled with gas, but only with atmospheric air, which is distributed to the several buildings in whose vaporizers it becomes charged, and thus, if the mains be not perfectly tight, atmospheric air will alone escape therefrom, which will occasion no loss, and cannot be offensive or dangerous. For this reason, also, it will no longer be necessary to take up and repair or relay such mains whenever they become in the least degree defective or leaky.

This method of supplying gas is of special use in villages or large factories.

The apparatus for supplying air may be located at any point where it can be operated most advantageously, and the pipes for conducting the air may be led from it to the different buildings to be supplied, connecting with Vaporizers within the buildings.

The air, before being forced into the vaporizer, may be made to pass over lime or through other chemical purifiers, so as to be freed from all traces of carbonic acid, water, and other impurities which prevent perfect combustion.

We do not wish to confine ourselves to any particular construction of air-forcing apparatus or vaporizer. The choice of any particular engine or machine must depend on'circumstances. Thus, if there be a waterfall the air may be forced by means of apparatus used to produce the blast in Catalan furnaces, which consist of a tube with side perforations, through which the water is allowed to fall, carrying with it the air; or the ordinary blast-wheel may be used. Either steam, water, or other power may be employed as a motor for the air-supplying apparatus. When there is water-poweravailable any suitable form of water-engine may be used. Any village having water-mills could easily spare enough power to use for our purpose. Where a local power (either steam or other) is employed as the motor of the gasmachine-as, for instance, in depots, machineshops, &c.an air-reservoir acting 'as a gasometer may be used, so that if the motor power' he not kept in action during the night, and only a few lights be needed, the quantity of air or gas in the gasometer or reservoir will form a reserve which will supply all the gas needed.

The vaporizer or gas-generator may be constructed as shown in the patent granted us heretofore, or it may be modified by placing a packing of wool or other fibrous material in the dome of the vaporizer, and by then taking the supply-pipe out from the top, by which arran gement the flow of gas is steadied and made more uniform; and in this connection the gasoineter or reservoir above mentioned may be also used to still further regulate the current of gas and to steady its flow to the burners.

. In the application of this invention we deem the tubular vaporizer heretofore invented by us of special use, as it is compact and takes up but little room, so that instead of one vaporizer for the whole building, whether it be a factory or machine-shop, a small vaporizer may be used on each story of the building, or even in each room, if it be preferred, and by this means the liability of the gas to condense would still furthur decrease and the gas itself would burn with greater brilliancy.

Having thus described ourinvention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is e I The method herein described of supplying gas generators or Vaporizers, of whatsoever con struction, from an independent air-pump or airforcing apparatus located at any place convenient, but so that the air shall enter the said vaporizer and become charged with the hydrocarbon vapor at or near the point where the gas is to be consumed.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification before two subscribing witnesses. E..A. POND. M. S. RICHARDSON. Witnesses:

WALTER O. DUNTON, ALBERT H.'TUTTLE. 

